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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · pitcher · firm · charge · sharp · spring · content · tube

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. content — the amount
  9. spring — a coil
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — steady
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spring — of water
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spring — the season
  19. firm — decided
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. firm — a company
  22. content — happy
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com